Tag: beach

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

Sorry for the almost-a-month long hiatus.  I took a short break to spend time with family over the holidays, enjoy some relaxation, and go on vacation with my boyfriend to Europe.  Our time in Europe was quite lovely and what I liked most about it was that it was an active vacation!  After walking mile after magnificent mile going from place to place in Europe I realized how much I absolutely love it there.  I have always dreamed of having a job where I can either walk, bike, or bike/walk to work.  That is something that was a majority in Europe (biking and walking everywhere and by everywhere I literally do mean everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 😉 ) and is probably one reason why you don’t see many, if any, obese people there.  I would say Americans could learn a thing or two from them!  I found it to be refreshing and fun, and a little exhausting, too!  My point is that whether you go on a vacation like me or enjoy a stay-cation at home remember that you can always make it an active vacation, which is my favorite kind!  You can go to Europe where staying active will not only be easy, but also unavoidable 😉 You can go on a beach vacation and take walks or jogs along the beach or you can go on a mountain vacation and go skiing.  Just remember that when you go on vacation, don’t just throw your workout out the window.  Consider small workouts, walks, and exercise routines that will keep you moving.  If you’re enjoying a stay-cation, consider hikes, organizing and cleaning to keep you busy, or other small routines that keep you active.

Once I got home and gave myself a few days to recover from the vacation and get back into the correct time zone after the jet lag, I got myself right back into my workout routine.  The week I would be starting back my workouts just happened to be Christmas week, but after taking 9 days off it was important to get myself back into the groove of life.  I got up Christmas morning and decided to hit the workout room before any Christmas festivities got under way.  Plus, all my Christmas fun is typically on Christmas Eve.  Anyway, back to this Christmas workout when my mom decides to semi-jokingly and semi-sarcastically say, “You just have to workout, don’t you?”  As if somewhat sickened, yet proud that I hold the will and motivation to workout on Christmas Day when many people do not hold the same discipline or expectations.  I know she knew in her mind that either way no matter what that I was going to workout because we had no plans or restrictions that would prevent me from fitting in a quick 30 to 40 minute workout.  Not to mention, for me, it is important to stay true to myself and my health, meaning I make it a priority even during the holiday season.  As I expressed to my mom, it’s the time of year when we all tend to eat a little more, eat a little less healthy, and eat until we feel like we might pop because we are so full.

My point?  Remember that you should try to keep the promises you make to yourself and goals you have for yourself, even during the holiday season.  That means sticking to your workouts, taking walks, and doing short exercise routines in-between holiday parties, festivities, etc so your friends and family understand that health is very important to you.  This keeps you in your normal routine and rhythm so that come January you are already in your same workout routine and schedule rather than taking a long hiatus from Thanksgiving through the New Year when you eat more calories and can easily slip into the winter slumber of not working out.  If you take a hiatus be prepared for a difficult time when you start back up again.  It makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things, get your body and routine back in sync, and fulfill new resolutions that you should have never given up or done away with for a month to begin with.   Don’t feel guilty if this is what you did, but consider making changes next year  to keep your healthy lifestyle routine all year round!

So whether you are going on vacation, enjoying a stay-cation, or intertwining the two as I did during my holiday season, make it an active one that keeps you moving, gets you going, and helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process!

Happy New Year, may 2015 be the year for exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle choices for you and yours!

~jj

Extra steps…make the most of your day!

Extra steps…make the most of your day!

I was visiting Chicago over the weekend and one thing I love about being in the city is all the walking that it allows.  I also learned that they have a new bike program in which the city has biking stations all over the city.  For example, you can pick up a bike at Navy Pier and ride it for a half hour and get to where you need to go and then turn it in and hop on another bike for your ride to the bus station or wherever your next stop may be.   For a relatively cheap membership, you can utilize this biking program.  Point being, that the city helps make biking and walking two great forms of exercise!  So, consider biking or walking to work or when you have errands to run (if this is an option that might work for you)!  I know that many of us are not fortunate enough to do either as we live too far outside of town or it is unsafe to do so, but if by chance you can bike or walk to work, try it!  It doesn’t mean you have to do it everyday, start with once or twice a week and see how you like it!  It’s a great way to get in your workout since schedules tend to be busy and time seems to be scarce during the week!

Another great way that my boyfriend and I get extra steps when we are vacationing is to use the stairs when we are in hotels.  Rather than using the elevators, we use the stairs to get extra steps into our day.  I suggest you do the same.  You can also use the stairs at work and any other stairs you encounter throughout your day.  Other quick ways to get your steps in that may seem out of the ordinary are walking to the mailbox to get your mail rather than pulling up to it in your car, jogging in place or doing some type of exercise when you are pumping gas, and not parking close to the store doors so you can walk farther.

While I realize that exercise and vacation don’t tend to be two things we associate together or two things we like to put in the same sentence, I am not suggesting that you hop on the treadmill or do a run, but that you allow yourself to utilize the quick and easy exercises that might be at your fingertips.  Often times vacationing means extra calories because we eat foods with higher calories, splurge and have dessert, or even just eat more than we might usually.  Meals tend to be less structured as lend to less healthy choices.  Hence, it is important to consider quick steps you can get during the day to help counteract the extra calories being consumed.  While I realize that a break from working out is a great way to refresh and revitalize your body and mood, exercising on the beach such as beach yoga and beach jogs can also be rejuvenating and relaxing.  Next time you think about your day – vacation or at home – think about the things you can do to make the most of your routine and day!  You may be surprised at how many extra steps and exercises you can fit into your day without much thought or change.

~jj

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